In this episode, I talk to prolific author and social scientist Arthur Brooks about finding meaning in the second curve of life. According to Arthur, the world and our biology urge us to relentlessly chase after the next win. This flawed formula for satisfaction ultimately leaves us unfulfilled. To find true purpose, we must break our addiction to success and confront life’s hard truths. We also touch on the topics of motivation, relationships, aging, transcendence, and love.
Bio
Arthur C. Brooks is the Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School. Before joining the Harvard faculty in July of 2019, he served for ten years as president of the Washington, D.C.-based American Enterprise Institute (AEI), one of the world’s leading think tanks.
He is also a columnist for The Atlantic, host of the podcast “How to Build a Happy Life with Arthur Brooks,” and subject of the 2019 documentary film “The Pursuit”. Arthur has written 12 books, including the national bestsellers “Love Your Enemies” and “The Conservative Heart”. His most recent book is “From Strength to Strength”, available this February 2022..
Website: arthurbrooks.com
Twitter: @arthurbrooks
Topics
02:18 The plane ride that changed Arthur’s life
08:46 Transcendence as the reward of life
13:11 The addiction to success
17:52 Motivated by why
21:20 From success to freedom
28:45 Arthur and Scott’s shared values
33:18 The Harvard Grant Study
36:33 Love, worship, and commitment
41:24 Vanaprastha: retire to the forest
45:01 What it means to be fully alive
52:42 The Dalai Lama’s pen
56:59 Liminality and the magic of transitions
1:01:25 Being happy vs. the need to feel special
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